Monday, September 01, 2008

Stitchers' Angel Sewing Bag

Now it's my week to give you a pattern in the Stitcers' Angel Club. Due to the timezone some of you already have waited almost a day for it, and for others I guess you have not woke up yet. I'm soon ready to go to work, but first I will present what I have made for you:

You also need 5 small buttins for flowers and two 36 inches cords to pull the bag together

I have used 1/4 inch seam allowance

Stitchery:

Use a pigma pen to trace the stitchery pattern. Centre the design and trace onto the fabric you have chosen to stitch on. This can be done by either using a light box or tpe the pattern and fabric to a window. I always use a very thin batting or iron-on Pellon behind my stitchery to hide the threads. Or just place another piece of cotton fabric behind the stitchery. I have used DMC embroidery thread in different colours. Just take a look in your thread scrap bag and use the colours that match the fabric you have chosen for your bag.

You find the stitchery pattern on the pdf file.

Front and back of the bag:

Take your two strips of 4x5 inch main fabric and sew it on top and bottom to the stitchery. Then sew the two strips of 3 x14 inch to the left and right side of the block. Make sure it measures 14 x 10 inches.

Place this on top of your batting. Quilt as desired. If you don't dare to do any fancy free motion quilting, just quilt some slightly bowed lines. This will be the front of your bag. I often use another "old/ugly" fabric behind the batting to make it easier to quilt.

Do the same with your 14 x 1 inch piece of main fabric. This will be the back of your bag.

Cord casing:Take your two 2 1/2 x inch strips to make the casing. Fold the short ends and stitch them down. Fold each piece wrong side against wrong side and stitch with /4 inch seam allowance on the long side. Iron the casing with the seam in the middle of the back side. You will now have two casings. (on the photo you can see 4 strips, but this is only to show you how to do it)

Place one casing on each fron bag piece 1 1/2 inch from the top. Stitch it down on the long sidesFlower buttons:Now is the time to sew on your buttons to make the flowers on the stitchery.

Sewing the bag together:Place your two front pieces with the right sides together and stitch the bottom, right and left sides together. In the left and right bottom corner you draw a square of 2 x 2 inches. Cut and remove this square.

Open the cornes and sew them together as shown on the photo below. Do the same with the fabric for your inside bag. But remember to leave an 5 inch opening in one of the long sides.

Putting it all together:Turn the inside bag with the right side out and put it down into the outside bag. Make sure the seam allowance in both sides meets and pin it together. Sew with 1/4 inch seam allowance around the top.

Then flip the bag through the opning in the inner bag, sew the opening together and put the inner bag down into the frontbag. Make sure it looks ok on the top and topstitch along the top edge with 1/4 inch seam allowance. Sew the opening in the inside bag. Cut two cords 36 inch lengths. Using a safety pin on the end, thread one cord through one side opening in the cord casing. Thread the cord right around the bag and take it out through the same opening. Repeat for the secong lenght of cord, starting and finishing at the opposite opening. Tie the ends of the cords together. Your bag is now ready to be filled with the other projects presented by the Stitchers' Angel Designers.

I hope you have enoyed making this sewing bag. It was fun designing it for you. If you are having trouble understanding the pattern, just send me an email and I will try to anser you.

And I will love seeing photo of your bags so if you make it please send me and email with link to your blog so I can se.

Hej May-Britt,I have read your blogsite a few years now. And I have to admit you have been one of my most inspirising quilters' paragon. You have shown me a lot new things about quilting world. Tack för dig! Och jag är mycke glad att du är en av Stitchers' Angel Designer.

I love this!!! I'm sure I could do this even though I only have a few months sewing under my belt. But I wouldn't do it for awhile, this is something I know my mother in law would love even more! I hope you don't mind I added your URL to my blog! My mom is/was big into sewing she might want to take a look at your blog! I looked at afew of your projects and I have to say I love the little makeup bag, it would be so easy for me the way you layed it out for everyone!